Introduction

Founded in 1993, LEPSE (Laboratory of Plant Ecophysiology under Environmental Stress) is a Joint Research Unit (UMR) bringing together INRAE and L’Institut Agro Montpellier. Located on the La Gaillarde campus in Montpellier, France, the laboratory develops knowledge, methods, and tools to better understand plant functioning in their environment and to support the adaptation of agriculture to the climate challenges of the 21st century.
For more than 30 years, LEPSE has established itself as an international reference in plant ecophysiology, high-throughput phenotyping, and crop modeling.

Our Objectives

LEPSE research aims to analyze and model the genetic diversity of plant responses to contrasting environments, particularly drought and high temperatures.
The goal is to understand the mechanisms governing plant adaptation in order to contribute to the development of more productive, sustainable, and resilient crop varieties and cropping systems.

Our Scientific Approaches

LEPSE teams investigate the major processes governing plant functioning, including: Growth, Vegetative and reproductive development, Photosynthesis, Transpiration, CO₂ and water exchange.
To address these questions, the laboratory uses a wide range of genetic materials, including natural accessions, breeding lines, mutants, and transgenic plants. Experiments are conducted in growth chambers, greenhouses, and field conditions.
These studies rely on measurements performed across multiple scales using physiological, biochemical, molecular, and biophysical approaches.
The resulting data are integrated into mechanistic simulation models that account for both genetic and environmental variability, enabling predictions of genotype and species performance under current and future climate conditions.

World-Class Phenotyping Platforms

LEPSE is one of the pioneering laboratories in high-throughput plant phenotyping. It has designed and developed innovative experimental platforms that enable rapid and precise characterization of plant responses to environmental conditions.
This expertise led the laboratory to coordinate the PHENOME Investments for the Future project, which helped structure national and European plant phenotyping infrastructures.
Thanks to these platforms, LEPSE is internationally recognized for its expertise in measuring, analyzing, and modeling plant responses to environmental constraints.

Species Studied

The laboratory's research focuses primarily on four reference species:

• Wheat and maize, two major cereals essential for global food production;
• Grapevine, an emblematic crop of strategic importance in Mediterranean regions;
• Arabidopsis thaliana, a model plant whose natural diversity provides an exceptional resource for studying adaptation to environmental stress.

The knowledge and methods developed at LEPSE are also applied to other agronomically important species, including sorghum, rice, and barley.

Organization

LEPSE is structured around three complementary units:

ETAP: Transpiration Efficiency and Plant Adaptation to Dry Climates

MAGE: Modeling and Analysis of Genotype × Environment Interactions

M3P: Montpellier Plant Phenotyping Platforms

This organization promotes strong integration between fundamental research, methodological development, and the management of experimental infrastructures.

Staff

LEPSE brings together 32 permanent staff members affiliated with INRAE or L’Institut Agro Montpellier:

• 14 researchers and faculty members
• 18 engineers, technicians, and administrative staff

The laboratory also hosts numerous PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, interns, and contract staff. Including non-permanent personnel, LEPSE has an average workforce of approximately 75 people.

Supervising Institutions

LEPSE operates under the joint supervision of:

• The AgroEcoSystems Department of INRAE;
• The Plant Biology and Breeding Department of INRAE;
• The Biology and Environment Department of L’Institut Agro Montpellier.